Teaching Stand up Comedy and my Dojo!

In a few hours I will be graduating a new class of people that attended my 'comedy dojo' . I am gratified to say it is being touted as one of -if not THE best stand up comedy and humor writing classes/situations in the business.

I hold my regular 5 weeks classes in Ann Arbor at the Comedy Showcase. I try to do as many as I can there. It's a historic club dating back over 25 years and has resisted in the past having anybody hold a teaching situation there. I am proud that they chose me. I am proud of the way I present my coaching. In my dojo I offer live instruction and direction and even online writing help to all students who attend. You can check out the info at http://www.aacomedy.com/

I never started out to be a teacher it just happened. I began doing 'writer's camps' in the 80s and it evolved from that. There are many comedy classes around the country and some are helpful. I guess you could say any homework you do before you bounce onto a comedy stage is helpful. I would just warn all prospective students to choose your mentors wisely.

With me you get a former NBC Tonight Show writer and 25 year plus headlining comedian's assistance. That's hard to come by (actually damn near impossible) for new people to obtain in this business.
I also do an online class and that has allowed me to help others I couldn't have even dreamed of getting to in the past. http://www.standupschool.com/

I am always excited on nights that my students graduate and I'm nervous for them plenty lol. That's the one thing I can't help much with is when they are soloing on stage in front of a live audience. They have to take the fire for themselves. I know that I've prepared them and assured them and they're ready even to face the fear. (I deal with that in my classes) Fear is a huge thing to get over in many things of course and I coach ways to soothe that and help fight it in the 'dojo'.

Never let fear stop you. Fear has no power except for what you give it. Acknowledge that it exists make fun of fear and you will be fine.

To my students and all who read this may I say 'break a leg'!
Live it and give it!!

**You can't have everything...but you sure can hear about it!

**You can't buy everything...how would you get it home?

peace and have a nice day. :)

Uncle Hippie...chill

www.twitter.com/chilichallis1

What is up?

Been asked that question lately? What's up!!!? Light and self explanatory I guess. A brilliant greeting and opening for conversation all in two words. What's up!!!!!!??? Demands a response doesn't it? Even though I'll bet many times it's answered with ...aaaah nothing. Still an eminently powerful canned greeting carried over from the 90's. What's up??!!! Gotta love it.

Makes you wonder why this micro-inquest hasn't been around throughout history. What's up??!
I'm pretty sure it's not mentioned once in the Bible. I don't think Einstein said it a single time.
He was too busy figuring out what is up in a relative sense.

Ever have somebody use it that surprises you? Your 88 year old grandma or the priest, minister or rabbi lets go with a big -what's up???!!! It concerns me when my pyschic friend says it. It's customary for me to ask- don't you know?

Now that I think about it I'll bet it just may be impossible to get through one day without saying it or having it said to you. Wanna bet?

So here's my solution, since we can't change what people will ask we should come up with a new response. Here's an opportunity to use humor and conceivably get a laugh from the inquestor. ;)

Let's try a few and you take it from there ok?

What's up? A. Inflation and the price of gas -what else is new?!
(See you've now answered it and flipped the question back to the questioner/greeter). We're on to something!

What's up? A. (females) You mean besides my dress size?!
(Bam! Self deprecating humor is always funny and disarming. Now you've forced the 'what's up' person to compliment you by saying noooo you look great!...lol ah see how this is getting easier and the psychological counterattacks abound!)

What's up? A. (men) Everything but my man boobs!
(Zing! Pow! Zoink!)

Now you got it -go write some yourself. You KNOW you're going to get the question be prepared with a fun answer! It's entertaining, fun, expressive, it's Friday what the hell!!!

**They say a cat has 32 muscles in each ear. I was shocked when I heard this. The way my cat responds to my call I didn't even know he had ears!

Have a nice day :)
your uncle hippie chill

Check me out on www.myspace.com/chilichallis or www.twitter.com/chilichallis1
Facebook too!